


giants

by holdenscoffee (spacebarista)



Category: The Expanse (TV)
Genre: Childhood, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Quixotic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 17:36:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9395945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebarista/pseuds/holdenscoffee
Summary: Jimmy Holden and his loyal steed Rufus have to protect the farm.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [legitimate_salvage (ifinkufreaky)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifinkufreaky/gifts).



> Written as a prompt fill for legitimate_salvage, who wanted a fic about "Jimmy Holden, Montana farmboy". During the Windmills viewing for the Expanse rewatch, I joked about Holden riding the family dog into fake battles. And this fic was born. I also got to write about Rufus the family dog (mentioned in Abaddon's Gate) which has always been a goal of mine.
> 
> Thanks for reading! please review if you can!

Jimmy Holden has a goal. He isn’t sure what a goal is; he’s not sure what the word means. But he has one. He has a goal, he has a sword, he has… a steed. Rufus the Dog. Rufus isn’t a very good steed. He bounces around, he sniffs the grass for too long, and he looks at the forest when the wind hits the trees. But he _is_ big enough for Jimmy to ride. And ride him he will. He has to protect the farm.

 

The tall beasts dot the lush landscape of the farming collective where his family lives. They tower over every animal, every person. Even Papa Dmitri. And he’s the tallest dad he has. They’re far taller than Jimmy’s _house_. They’re huge! And it’s Jimmy’s mission to take them down. To stop them before they bring their reign of terror down on his family.

 

He isn’t sure what a reign is. He just learned what _terror_ is. He knows what it feels like, though. The only thing that makes the _terror_ he feels under the shadow of the giant monster go away is Rufus. Jimmy hugs the big dog around the neck, round face half-buried in his fur as he kneels in the grass beside him. Rufus pants. Jimmy shivers. To see the top of the monster, he has to look _all_ the way up. Almost straight at the sky. His arms couldn’t wrap around it even if he were six feet tall. He can feel his heart in his chest when he looks at it from this close, and he’s still far from it.

 

But he has a job to do. He came here to do it. Rufus came here to do it. So Jimmy Holden is going to get to work.

 

“C’mon, Rufus,” he mutters, giving his steed one last squeeze. “Let’s go.”

 

Rufus stands with Jimmy, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of his mouth. Jimmy picks up the plastic toy sword Mama Tamara had gotten him for his birthday. It’s not very heavy, but it’s still got some weight. He’d gotten a long time out for hitting Papa Cesar a little too hard with it the day he got it.

 

Rufus manages to hold still long enough for Jimmy to climb onto his back. Mama Sophie says he’s getting too big to ride Rufus but he isn’t _yet_ and Rufus _still lets him_. He holds tight onto Rufus’ harness. He looks up at the giant. Takes a big, deep breath. And points his sword at the _vile beast_.

 

“Get him, Rufus! Giddyup!”

 

Rufus barks, but doesn’t run. Jimmy gives him a look. Rufus isn’t a very good steed.

 

“Go, Rufus, go!”

 

Rufus barks again. Still doesn’t run. Jimmy sighs, points his sword again.

 

“Treat! Treat, Rufus!”

 

That, Rufus listens to. He runs straight towards the monster. He’s not very fast, but Jimmy still has to hold onto his harness to keep from falling off. He laughs the kind of laugh he’s seen in all the hero movies. It sounds fake. But it works for them, so he does it. He holds his sword out, ready to hack at the giant.

 

He’s almost there when a loud whistle stops Rufus. Jimmy yells, leaning down to hold onto the dog’s neck again to keep from falling off. Heroes don’t fall off their steeds.

 

“ _James Ryder Holden_ what do you think you’re _doing_?!”

 

Uh oh. He looks up from Rufus’s back to see Mama Elise running up the hill in her coat and boots. He drops his sword into the grass. “Sit, Rufus. Sit.” His steed obeys, and Jimmy lets himself slide off his back to stand next to him. He keeps one hand in his thick black fur.

 

Mama Elise stops in front of them, panting like Rufus. “Jimmy, what were you _thinking_?”

 

Jimmy opens his mouth, but closes it and looks down at his feet. “Sorry, Mommy.”

 

“’Sorry’ doesn’t answer my question.” She doesn’t sound as mad, but she’s not happy. Jimmy can see her cross her arms.

 

“I had to fight the giants, Mommy.”

 

She huffs. “The giants? What giants?”

 

Jimmy shrugs, looks up to point at the monster beside them. “The giants. Like in the book you read me.”

 

“The book I—“ She looks at the giant, stares at it before looking back down at him. She does that a few times.

 

And then she laughs.

 

“Oh, my God. Jimmy, no. It’s not a giant.” She bends down, hands on her knees. She laughs harder.

 

“But Mommy! That’s what the Don man said! He fought the giants! You told me!”

 

“Oh, honey,” Mama Elise breathes, reaches out to ruffle his hair before pulling him against her for a hug. “Honey, no. I was showing you how Don Quixote fights _windmills_. He _thinks_ the windmills are giants. But they aren’t.”

 

Jimmy turns his head to he can look at the spinning white thing. The beast. The windmill. “They aren’t?”

“No, baby. They’re not.” She pushes at his shoulder, kneels down to look him in the eye. “They help power our farm. Using the wind. They’re nothing to fight or be afraid of.” She waves a finger at him, looks serious. “So no more riding Rufus like he’s Rocinante. He’s getting old, and you could really hurt him _or_ yourself, okay?”

 

Jimmy nods. “Okay, mommy.”

 

Mama Elise holds out a fist, her pinky stuck out. “Promise me?”

 

Jimmy smiles, hooks his pinky in hers like he always does. “Promise.”

 

“Good.” She kisses his forehead, then stands up, her arm around him as she pulls him towards the house. “C’mon you. C’mon, Rufus. Let’s find something less dangerous for you to do. Maybe you can help me bake cookies for the family, huh?”

 

“Yes, bake cookies!”

 

Maybe he couldn’t kill the giants. The windmills. But he and his steed can _definitely_ help Mama Elise bake cookies.

 


End file.
